Dark Gravity
by GiannaG
Summary: The Tetrawizard Tournament brings two worlds crashing together. When two cousins born from dark magic reunite, their friends, schoolmates and teachers will have to risk it all to try and save everything they hold dear.
1. The Journey to Hogwarts

Gigi Lestrange stormed down the aisles of the Hogwarts Express. She was in a mood today, and Salazar help whoever got in her way. She was currently on the lookout for her best friends and fellow Slytherins, Dani Vicieux and Alli Whittoy. They were supposed to have been waiting in their usual room for her, but they were nowhere to be found.

 _How is Cerberus supposed to function with only one head?_ Gigi thought angrily.

Despite being annoyed, she couldn't help but chuckle darkly at the nickname. Some of the other Hogwarts students had begun calling the trio Cerberus less-than-affectionately a few years back. In Greek mythology, it was the name of the three-headed hound that guarded hell. It was meant to be an insult surely, but the three girls were more than happy to adopt the nickname as their own.

Now, if only she could find the other two.

She hastily swung open a compartment door, only to glare at the fourth year Gryffindors inside. Neville Longbottom stood quickly, whether in shock or fear she wasn't sure. She placed a well-manicured hand on the boy's chubby chest and shoved him back into his seat. Spinning on her heel, she slammed the door behind her.

She had started to grow impatient when halfway down the aisle she heard Dani's laughter ringing from nearby. She quickly moved to open the next door.

"I should've known I'd find you here," she sighed.

The room was full of Slytherin Quidditch boys, and Dani was currently draped across the lap of a seventh year, Theodore Nott. He was running his fingers through her long ash brown hair. She looked up at Gigi and flashed a dimpled smile.

"Ah Gigi, so nice of you to join us." Theodore said with a smirk. "There's plenty of room on my lap for one more."

Gigi rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Nott." She delicately raised her middle finger at the boy before turning back to Dani. "Where is Alli?" she asked.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," a voice purred from the doorway.

Gigi spun around. Alli was leaning against the door frame with her signature smirk plastered on her face, and a mischievous sparkle in her icy blue eyes.

"How've you been, G?" Alli asked. "I haven't seen you since the World Cup."

Behind her, Gigi heard a few muffled laughs. None of them had been shocked by the death eater attack that summer. Most of their parents had been behind it after all.

Cerberus had been together that night. Alli's father worked for the Ministry of Magic and had gotten the girls prime box seats for the event. About an hour before the attack, security personnel came to guide the girls out to a car that was waiting out back.

None of them asked why. The good thing about being friends with Death Eaters' daughters, was they generally knew when to not ask questions.

"The rest of the summer was uneventful," Gigi finally responded.

"Well from what I hear, the school year will be anything but." Alli teased, a knowing smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Dani quickly slapped Nott's hand away and sat up.

"What do you mean, Al?"

"Well my father says Hogwarts will be hosting a very special event this term," Alli said.

Her words were met with nothing but blank stares. Alli grinned again, clearly pleased that she possessed information the others did not.

"It's called the Tetrawizard Tournament. It's a competition involving four wizarding schools. One champion from each school is selected to compete. Apparently, its super dangerous."

The group mumbled to themselves, but were quickly cut off by an impatient Gigi. "Get to the point, Alli," she snipped.

Alli glared at her, but didn't protest. She had been lavishing dragging the news out, but even she wouldn't risk bringing out Gigi's temper.

"Well, father tells me that it's coming to Hogwarts this year...which means so are the other schools."

This time the group's reactions were far less reserved. Dani squealed.

"How exciting," she gasped. "Fresh meat."

The group laughed. They weren't sure if she was talking about new victims to torture or men to seduce, but either way her enthusiasm was contagious.

Gigi paused her laughing long enough to ask another question. "Did your father tell you which schools would be participating?"

Alli hesitated for a moment. This time it wasn't to drag out the suspense. She seemed actually frightened to tell her friend the answer.

"Well I know Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are coming from France and Bulgaria respectively..." she said, but then stopped again.

Gigi's temper flared, her dark amber eyes flashing.

"Spit it out Alli, or I swear I'll crucio you."

She was probably kidding, but Alli decided not to risk it.

"Well...he mentioned St. Drausinus's Reformatory might be allowed to participate this year as well..."

Her announcement drew gasps from the other Slytherins in the car.

"Those halfbreeds and freaks?!" Nott shouted.

"Hush," Dani scolded. "Any of us could have ended up there too if our parents had been caught."

The teens continued to clamor around her, but Alli had kept her eyes focused on Gigi.

Her friend's face had gone white, and she had dug her nails into her palms hard enough to draw blood.

"Everyone out," Gigi ordered. She refused to lose her composure in front of the others. When nobody budged she stood and grabbed the collars of two of the boys standing nearby. She shoved them both out of the compartment and gestured for the others to follow, except for Alli and Dani.

Dani reached across the compartment and grabbed her hand gently. "Are you okay, G?" she asked. Gigi took a deep breathe and pulled her dark hair up off her neck.

"I'm fine," she breathed. "But it's best you both be prepared. My cousin is coming to Hogwarts."

* * *

Thousands of miles away, Calico squirmed on the hard plastic seat of the enchanted subterranean train. They'd be at Hogwarts in just over 16 hours, and Cal was sure her backside would be numb by then. She hadn't expected St. Drausinus's to transport her and her classmates in luxury, but she also hadn't expected this metal death trap either. The aluminum bullet train shook and rumbled as it passed through the earth's sedimentary layers, causing the fluorescent lights inside to flicker.

Thanks to the magical charms placed upon it, it didn't need a track or tunnel to run. It merely passed through the solid underground like a ghost, and the muggles in the towns above them were none the wiser.

Calico reached down and touched the cuff on her ankle that kept her chained to her seat. All of her classmates were similarly attached, only to be freed for bathroom breaks on the long journey. Calico feared however, that even that small luxury would be taken away soon. The last boy who asked to relieve himself had used the opportunity to attack one of the Guardians.

The boy, a 15-year-old named Trevor, had jumped on his victim the moment he had been freed. Calico had watched as he bit into the Guardian's ear and ripped it from his head. Trevor still had the detached ear in his mouth when he was knocked unconscious by another Guardian's stunning curse. They had dragged him from the train car, and he hadn't reappeared again.

 _Probably locked in solitary now,_ thought Cal.

All that remained from the altercation was the Guardian's blood that had been left splattered across the laminate floor.

The incident hadn't fazed Cal in the slightest. She had seen far worse during her time at St. Drausinus. She couldn't muster any empathy for the boy either. He was a fool to lose his shit now when they were so close to the first taste of real freedom any of them had in years.

Calico's thoughts were interrupted by her best friend Kailah Ivankoff, whose mahogany curls fell over her eyes as she leaned in closer.

"Check out the newb," Kailah whispered.

Across from the two girls sat a third. She was small and thin, with honey hair and innocent deep blue eyes. She was tugging at the metal bracelet around her wrist, clearly agitated by the hard surface rubbing against her skin.

Every student at St. Drausinus was required to wear an Obstinum. The thick iron cuff prevented the teens from using any wandless or supplemental magic. They were a necessary precaution at a school where nearly half the students possessed powerful magical abilities.

Calico watched as the girl continued to pull at the band.

"That won't help you know," she said when she finally grew tired of watching the girl struggle.

The stranger jumped, seemingly shocked by the sound of Cal addressing her, but she quickly regained her composure.

"I have sensitive skin," the girl said.

Kailah snorted. "You'll get used to it. We all have."

"But my abilities aren't dangerous," the girl insisted. "I'm a healer! Why do I have to wear one of these?"

"Take it up with the headmistress sweetheart," Kailah sneered. "You're one of us now, and that means you get to wear our pretty little accessories too."

The girl stared at them, wide-eyed and relatively calm. Cal wondered if the reality of her new situation had really set in yet. She tried to imagine what brought such a naïve soul to the reformatory in the first place.

"What's your name?" Cal asked the girl.

She gazed back at them tentatively before answering.

"Kahlan," she said. "Kahlan Amnell."

"So you have wandless healing abilities, Kahlan?" Cal asked.

Kahlan nodded, her knot of dirty blonde hair bobbing.

"And how'd that happen? Your parents have a potion go wrong?" Cal pressed.

Kahlan hesitated.

"I...I'm not sure," she said. "I never knew my parents. I grew up in a monastery out in the country."

"And they sent you here?" Kailah asked bluntly.

"No!" Kahlan exclaimed, but then she hesitated. "At least, I don't think so. I was picking wildflowers in the fields, when two of those men in white cloaks showed up out of nowhere. Then I was waking up in the headmistress's office being told I'm a danger to society and that magic is real."

Kailah choked. "You didn't know about magic?" she asked.

Kahlan shook her head.

Cal gazed at her curiously. "Then what did you think your healing abilities were?" she asked.

Kahlan shrugged. "Miracles," she replied nonchalantly.

Calico and Kailah broke out in hysterical laughter, tears coming to both of their eyes. They would have been rolling on the floor had it not been for their restraints.

"...Miracles!" Kailah gasped out. "What a load of hogwash!"

Before Kahlan could argue, one of the Guardians sent warning sparks flying out of his wand. "Quiet!" he shouted angrily, glaring at the three girls.

Kailah stuck her tongue out at him and Calico rolled her eyes, but Kahlan seemed to shrink back in fear.

"The men who brought me here looked like that too. Are they the teachers here?" Kahlan questioned.

Cal snorted again. "Not a chance. The giant oafs in the white cloaks are Guardians."

Kahlan looked at her blankly.

"Seriously?" said Cal. "They didn't give you some sort of rundown when they brought you in?"

The dark blonde shook her head.

"Merlin, I know they're a bit preoccupied with the tournament, but they usually at least go through the basics," said Cal. "Well, let me formally welcome you to St. Drausinus's Reform School for Troubled Young Witches and Wizards," she greeted sarcastically. "Those guys in the white cloaks are Guardians. The school says they're here to 'guide us on the path of righteousness,' but really they're just glorified prison guards," she finished.

"Why would we need prison guards?" asked Kahlan innocently.

Kailah grinned maliciously, and the sparkle in her dark gray eyes made Kahlan uneasy.

"Oh sweetheart, didn't anyone tell you? We're dangerous. It's in our blood. Everyone here is either a child of crazy, bloodthirsty criminals, or a victim of magical experimentation. Some are even lucky enough to be both. Just ask Cal here."

Kahlan sat back in her seat and swallowed loudly. She was now eyeing Calico far more warily than before.

"Your parents were criminals?" she asked.

"Correction," said Cal. "My father IS a criminal. He went off the deep end and massacred at least twelve muggles before I was born. Of course he was also a devout follower of the Dark Lord before the whole Potter situation."

For what seemed like the hundredth time since they had begun talking, Kahlan merely stared at them in confusion.

"The Dark Lord? The Potter situation?" she asked.

Cal sighed heavily. "Stories for another time sweet one," she said.

"So your mother sent you here?"

"No," Cal clarified. "My mother is dead. She passed away giving birth to me. Since my father was too busy withering away in Azkaban..."

"Wizard prison," Kailah clarified before Kahlan could ask.

"I was raised by my darling Uncle Regulus and Grandma Walburga," finished Cal.

"Unfortunately for my friend Cal here, her family was seriously into experimenting with dark magic, and she was just too perfect of a guinea pig to pass up," Kailah said while faking a somber look.

Kahlan was beginning to look gravely overwhelmed. "So...now you have magic too."

Cal rubbed her temples. Newbs required way more patience than she was used to having.

"All witches and wizards have magic, Kahl. But some of us, like you, me and Kailah here, are Dimagi. We have what might be called 'bonus abilities,'" she explained. "You can heal, and Kailah can conjure fire."

"And you?" Kahlan whispered. She seemed almost fearful of the answer.

"I make sane people do crazy things." Cal answered vaguely, but she offered no further explanation.

"Basically we got fucked up, and now we can all do wicked magic without a wand," Kailah added gleefully.

"A wand?!" Kahlan exclaimed. "But I don't have a wand!" Her blue eyes were wide with worry, like a child who forgot their lunch on their first day of school.

"Relax newb," Kailah retorted. "They'll probably issue you one when we get to Hogwarts."

Kahlan scrunched her face at the nickname but relaxed back in her seat.

Cal watched her enviously. She tried to imagine how exciting it must be to discover you were a witch for the first time. She thought of how thrilling it would feel to learn how special you truly were, even if it was here at St. Drausinus.

Cal had always known what she was though. Her uncle and grandmother had made sure of it. But by the time she turned 11 years old, the chaos and destruction she created around her was too much even for her psychotic relatives to bear. That was when they sent her to St. Drausinus. She was their problem now, and Cal had made sure to be exactly that these past five years.

But behind the walls of St. Drausinus, Cal had always been limited. Her powers were limited. Her freedom was limited. But all of that was about to change. After this Tetrawizard Tournament, nobody would ever limit Cal again.


	2. The Black Sheep

Gigi had forbidden her friends to ask any further questions on the train. Instead. she insisted that the conversation should be held in the privacy and comfort of the trio's Slytherin dormitory. After several hours and one feast later, the three brunettes finally retired to their quarters.

Technically they weren't supposed to be allowed to share a room. Dani was only a 5th year, and thus should be with Slytherins her own age. However, Cerberus had refused to be separated.

It wasn't unusual for pureblood children to be close prior to attending Hogwarts. Most of them had grown up together; their families bound by ancient friendships and oaths. But Gigi, Alli and Dani had been inseparable since they were practically toddlers, and their relationship had only grown stronger with age. So when Dani came to Hogwarts for her first year, Alli asked her father, Torben Whittoy, to pull some strings.

He worked as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. His job was highly confidential, even Alli didn't know much about what he did. She did know however, that he was a very high-up official with a great amount of power and very little restrictions.

Torben offered the Hogwarts Board of Governors some favors and likely several threats, until the administration had no choice but to acquiesce.

Gigi remembered the day Dani moved in with them. It was the same day the students and faculty of Hogwarts learned that what the three girls wanted, they would almost certainly get.

They all finished changing into their pajamas. The dark green silk camisoles and shorts were lined with black lace, and might have been considered immodest had it not been for the thin matching silk robes tied over them.

When they were situated, the girls clambered onto Alli's bed. Dani reclined across Alli's legs and turned to face Gigi, who had taken to sitting indian-style at the end of the mattress.

A moment passed before Dani finally piped up, "Well?" she asked expectantly.

Gigi shifted nervously. She suddenly had become very interested in a loose thread on Alli's duvet.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather talk about something else?" she asked. "What about that new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Mad Eye Moody, I think they call him. He's supposed to be an incredible auror."

"He _was_ an auror," Alli interrupted. "He's retired now, and according to my father absolutely loony."

" _Hello_ ," said Dani. "Can we focus _please_?" She had been waiting for what felt like ages for this piece of gossip, and she wasn't sure she could stand to wait much more.

"Ugh," Alli groaned, yawning dramatically. "What's to know, Dani? Every good pureblood knows about the Blacks. Their family is legendary in our - ."

The rest of her sentence was cut off by a large feather pillow Dani had thrown at her face. Alli glowered at her, but the other girl just shrugged.

"Of course I know about the Blacks, they're practically family. Walburga still comes for Christmas dinner and Regulus would too if he hadn't, you know..."

"Disappeared?" Alli finished. Dani nodded.

Gigi sighed. It seemed there was no escaping this conversation, and if Calico Black truly was coming to Hogwarts she would need all the back-up she could get.

"Did you guys ever meet Calico while we were growing up?" she asked. "No," both girls answered simultaneously.

"We were introduced once, and I saw glimpses of her occasionally when we visited the Black manor, but she was always being hidden away or pushed out of the room when we showed up," Alli said.

Dani's head bobbed in agreement. "I always just assumed she had a screw or two loose, and that your family didn't want to be embarrassed by her."

Gianna cackled, but there was no humor in the sound. "That's putting it mildly. We spent quite a bit of time together growing up. She was always around during the holidays and a few days each summer as well, unfortunately."

Gigi swung her legs off the side of the bed and stood.

"She was a right twat growing up. She used to put bleaching potions in my shampoo and instant-redness powders in my lotions," she said as she paced.

"Oh, I remember that summer!" Dani exclaimed. "You had that _awful_ blonde bob."

Gigi glared. "I didn't see Cal that summer, Dani."

Dani's face turned pink. "You mean you did that to yourself?!" she asked in disbelief.

Gigi ignored her.

"She used to make me think there were rats in my room. I could hear them scampering about at night. When she was really peeved, she'd make them appear in my bed. I could see them crawling under my sheets, and I could feel their claws and teeth scratching my skin. I tried to tell my mother, but when I woke up there was nothing. No marks, no rats, no scratches... nothing," Gigi whispered. Her voice was soft, as if she was reliving those long nights so many years ago.

"Sounds like something we would do...OUCH!" Dani's words were silenced by a sharp pinch from Alli.

"I'm sorry, G. That's horrible." Alli said sympathetically. "Surely they were just childish pranks though?"

Gigi looked up and met Alli's bright blue eyes for the first time since she had started talking. "I thought so too," she said. "Until one summer when she was visiting. I was in the kitchen when I heard her screaming out in the conservatory. Before I could go and see what was wrong, she came running in. Her hair was all messed up, and she had the craziest look in her eye. Then, out of nowhere, I couldn't breathe." Gianna shuddered at the memory. "It was like I was under water, and there was no air. I just remember everything becoming so muffled, and it was like I could feel the liquid filling up my lungs."

Her voice cracked, but she refused to lose her composure. Instead, she gathered her long caramel brown waves up off her neck, took a breathe, and blinked away the tears that threatened to fall.

"I thought I was going to die that day. I was sure of it. But then my father and Uncle Regulus showed up, and they pulled her away."

Gigi snuck a peek at her friends from the corner of her eye. Their eyes were wide with shock. Both of their mouths hung open slightly, as if they had words they wanted to say but couldn't quite form.

"I haven't seen her since," Gigi continued. "That was five years ago now. Not nearly long enough."

Again, there was silence. When nobody spoke, Gigi turned and climbed back onto the bed. Her hand found the loose thread again. She pulled at it, trying to distract herself from the silence as she waited for her friends' reactions.

Alli was the first to speak.

"Is that why she was sent to St. Drausinus? Because she did...whatever it was that she did to you?" she asked.

"I presume so," Gigi responded. "I never really asked, and quite frankly I didn't care as long as I didn't have to see her again."

"How exactly did she do those things though?" interrupted Dani. "Even powerful magical children don't have that kind of control over their abilities yet."

Gigi didn't reply. If the magical pureblood community found out about Cal, they could assume there was something wrong with the rest of the family as well. After all, she was a freak. Looking at her friends though, she knew there was nobody else in the world she trusted more.

"Cal is a Dimagi," she said.

Alli and Dani gasped. Before they could interrupt, Gigi continued.

"She has the ability to create and manipulate hallucinations," she said.

"Meaning..." probed Alli.

"Meaning," sighed Gigi. "She makes you see and feel and hear things that aren't there. She gets inside your head and twists things until you can't be sure what reality is anymore."

Alli and Dani glanced at one another. It was a lot of information to process, and even though they had a thousand questions, they didn't want to overwhelm Gigi all at once.

After a moment, Dani decided on a question. "Do you know how it happened?"

Alli sat up straighter. "Yeah, is she one of the Dimagi that were born that way or...you know?"

The second Alli finished her sentence there was a roaring in Gigi's ears. The room began to spin around her. She shut her eyes tightly trying to focus through the noise. Something about Alli's question had triggered a sort of deep physical reaction in her. It was like she knew the answer was somewhere in her brain, but she couldn't quite find it.

A warm hand on her arm snapped her out of it. Gigi opened her eyes to see Dani looking at her softly, her dark eyes full of concern.

"I don't know," she said.

The girls looked at each other. Nobody seemed to know what to say. It was a moment before Alli spoke again.

"Well, shit."

The statement was so simple and nonchalant compared to the dire situation at hand, that Gigi couldn't help but giggle. Soon, Alli and Dani joined in, and the three of them roared with laughter. It took them several minutes to finally calm down, and Gigi was grateful for the comic relief.

When they could breathe again, Alli clapped her hands together to get their attention.

"Well, I don't care if your cousin was born a Chinese Fireball dragon," she said. "We're Cerberus, the three Slytherin queens of Hogwarts. No St. Drausinus freak is going to get in our way."

She smiled at her friends confidently. "Now, get off my bed."


	3. Teacher's Pet

The day the other schools were supposed to arrive had come too soon for Gigi. She had hardly slept the night before, tossing and turning on her green silk sheets. To make matters worse, the other students were buzzing about the tournament like a hive of angry bees. The constant chatter made it impossible to think of anything else.

News of the tournament and its participants was to supposed to have been a surprise, yet somehow the majority of the school had found out by breakfast that day. When Gigi mentioned this to Alli, the other girl merely smirked and took a long sip of her breakfast tea. Nobody did gossip better than Alli Whitton.

They were already half way through their morning meal by the time the boys in their party arrived. The men mumbled greetings as they pulled up seats next to the members of Cerberus.

There were eight of them total, now that the boys had joined them. Like their female companions, the gentleman all possessed the type of sharp features and impeccable good looks that seemed to come from good breeding and limitless wealth.

First came Blaise Zabini who pulled up a chair next to Alli. He was tall and lean with smooth dark skin, high cheekbones and handsome long, slanting eyes. Blaise's mother was a foreign pureblood model with a long line of deceased husbands. Along with her attractive features and wealth, Blaise had also inherited her pompous attitude.

Across from Blaise sat Theodore Nott, the same boy Dani had been flirting with on the train and the only 7th year in the group. He sat next to the Dani again. She giggled flirtatiously, but Gigi couldn't help but notice her laugh lacked the same enthusiasm it had the day before. She was probably growing tired of the boy already. Dani was known to be a shameless flirt, and the girl had plenty of potential victims waiting to fall prey to her bubbly personality and sweet dimples. Gigi didn't see her fling with Theo lasting more than a week.

To Dani's left was Graham Montague, a chaser on the Slytherin quidditch team. Graham was a large, muscular boy with dark brows and hair he wore cropped short. His onyx eyes constantly sparkled with mischief. In fact it was his eyes, along with his cleft chin, that had many of the girls at Hogwarts pining away for him.

Yet another Slytherin quidditch player arrived with the group. Terence Higgs, the team's seeker, had eagerly taken the open spot next to Gigi. His blonde hair was styled with gel and his light green eyes popped against his uniform. It was no secret the boy fancied the dark-haired girl beside him. He had been openly pining for her since the beginning of their first year at Hogwarts, but much to his chagrin Gigi had been far too busy building Cerberus's empire to pay him any mind at all.

The last boy in the row was Cassius Warrington. He sat at the far end of the table, next to Terence. It would seem he hadn't forgotten Gigi hexing him at last year's end-of-the-term feast, after he had accidentally spilled pumpkin juice on her robes. He tried to keep as much space between the two of them as physically possible now. Cassius possessed the classic good- looks and charm that one would expect from a Witch Weekly cover boy. Like Montague, he was a chaser on the quidditch team, and he wore his light brown hair long and swept up to one side in a style that was commonly seen on preppy upper-class athletes. His eyes were a honey gold that rested under a heavy brow. One would expect the same haughty personality his friends possessed, yet Cassius had always been the shy, quiet one in the group.

Gigi was grateful to see them all. She was hoping their usual conversations of quidditch or recent sexual conquests would take her mind off things. However, whatever hope Gigi had of distracting conversation was soon crushed. The boys, like most other students at Hogwarts, wanted nothing more than to discuss the upcoming event.

"I heard the tournament hasn't been held in over a century because the death toll got too high," Graham started. His dark eyes flashed with excitement.

"I'm going to enter," said Theo. "Can't pass up the chance to compete for glory and gold, a Slytherin's two favorite things."

"Not that any of us really need any more of either," Blaise said lazily reaching across the table for another piece of toast.

"You can never have too much money or power, Blaise," Gigi chastised.

"Spoken like a true Slytherin queen," Terence gushed. His leg rubbed casually against Gigi's under the table.

"It's a shame the Weasley's are all too young to enter," added Theo. "Those filthy blood traitors could use the money. Maybe they could afford a robe that doesn't smell like horse manure and poverty."

The group laughed as they gathered up their belongings. The dishes and leftover food on the table began to evaporate and disappear as students started to head to their morning classes.

Alli, Dani and Gigi walked just ahead of the boys. They moved shoulder-to-shoulder in a straight row, their steps perfectly synchronized. The sound of their kitten heels striking the stone floor echoed through the corridor. The effect of which was incredibly intimidating, and most students quickly dodged out of their way quickly.

"What's your first class today, Dani?" asked Gigi.

"Ugh, Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindorks," Dani whined. "I hate being a year younger than you guys. Classes would be so much more tolerable if we were all suffering together."

"I'll walk you," Theo offered. "I'm walking that way anyway for Herbology."

Gigi laughed and squeezed Dani's shoulder affectionately. "Give them hell for us," she said.

The two departed from the crew of 16 year olds and headed towards the main entrance, while the rest of her friends continued making their way to the staircase.

"At least our first class of the day is potions with Ravenclaw," Alli said. "They're by far the most tolerable house besides Slytherin, and Snape is my favorite professor."

"We know," Gigi said, a sly grin on her face.

Alli ignored the jibe. It was no secret she had never been particularly interested in Hogwarts boys. Of course, she had her fair share of flings and flirtations, but she had yet to be particularly invested in any one individual. She wasn't like Dani who was oozed constant charm and charisma. Instead, Alli tended to be more reserved around the other students. The one exception being Cerberus of course.

She assumed she had inherited her aloof personality from her father. After all, Torben Whittoy had always been a man who loved his secrets, making his job at the Department of Mysteries all the more apt. The difference was that Alli also loved to tell secrets, provided they weren't her own. She had always had a knack for gossip, and everyone at Hogwarts knew she was the best source for a juicy rumor. She had even had professors approach her before in thinly veiled attempts of gaining information. But the only thing Alli loved more than gossip, was Potions.

Which is why she was feeling considerably jolly by the time the group reached their classroom deep in the dungeons. Most students found the shadowy, damp space unnerving, but not Slytherins. They thrived in the most dark and clandestine of spaces.

However, Alli had another reason for loving this class. Over the past few years she had begun to develop feelings greater than platonic admiration for their potions master.

Her and Professor Severus Snape had formed quite a close relationship over the years. Alli had always excelled in his class, and she had found herself able to brew exceedingly difficult potions beyond most sixth years' abilities. Snape, who usually reprimanded students for not following directions to the letter, frequently praised her for her innovative techniques and solutions.

She would often stay after class or visit him in the dungeons during her free time. He would share new research he had been working on or allow her to help brew whatever concoction he was currently mixing up. It was during these times that Alli quickly learned just how brilliant the man truly was.

In fact, his intelligence might be what Alli admired most about him. Although, it was obvious their personalities shared many similarities as well. Like her, Snape was also reserved and unbothered, and despite his often hostile behavior towards other students, Alli felt she could see the man was not nearly as cruel or heartless as the other students thought. This was especially true in their moments alone together. There was a light that spread across the man's face whenever he reached a breakthrough in his work, a light so genuine and warm it exposed the true humanity that lay below.

She was pulled out of her reverie when she nearly walked directly into the man she had just been thinking about.

Severus Snape reached out an arm to steady her.

"Daydreaming already Ms. Whittoy?" he asked. "How peculiar for a girl who has always seemed so grounded in reality."

It had sounded vaguely like an admonishment, but the corner of his lip had curled just slightly enough to betray his smile.

Alli looked up at the teacher. He was tall and thin with dark serious eyes, and his jet-black hair was just long enough to brush his shoulders. He was unusually pale from spending so much time in the dungeons away from sunlight, and his nose was slightly too large for his face. However, where others may have seen these features as imperfections, Alli merely thought they made the man even more interesting.

She returned his wry smile and purred, "I was actually thinking of the new potion I had been working on this summer. Perhaps I could get your opinion on it later this evening?"

She thought she saw that familiar light flash in his eyes, but he merely nodded and waved for her to sit down.

Alli obliged, taking her seat next to Gigi. Astraea Morlan, the Slytherin Quidditch captain, slid in at the end of their row.

"Hey Ast," Gigi greeted. "How was your summer?"

The blonde, blue-eyed girl smiled cheerfully. "Awesome actually! I got to train with the Puddlemere United team a bit after my cousin pulled some strings, and my parents got us amazing seats for the World Cup! Of course we were there supporting Ireland, so seeing them win was bloody brilliant."

Gigi nodded back unenthusiastically, clearly having checked out of the conversation already. "Do you ever talk about anything besides Quidditch, Astraea?" she asked.

The girl just laughed, her curls bouncing with the movement. "You don't seem to mind my obsession when we're thrashing Gryffindor for the Cup," she joked.

Gigi smiled flashing white, perfectly straight teeth.

"True. Anyone who knocks those over-confident crybabies down a few pegs is alright in my book."

Just then Professor Snape cleared his throat loudly to get their attention.

"We'll be working in groups today," he drawled. "Morlan, Lestrange, and Whittoy you'll be working with both Miss Robertsons."

The two Ravenclaw girls in front of them turned around and nodded in greeting. The Robertson twins weren't the worst partners imaginable, but they often grated on Cerberus's nerves. Artemis, the younger of the two, had the reputation of being a know-it-all who read more books than anyone Gigi had ever met, including the Gryffindor Mudblood Hermione Granger. Meanwhile the older twin, Olivia, was slightly less nerdy, but was a persistent do-gooder with an aggravating habit of being a stickler for rules. It made sense that she was also the sixth year Ravenclaw prefect.

"Today you will learn to brew the Wiggenweld Potion," continued Snape. "It is a powerful healing potion that can be used to heal injuries, or reverse the effects of a Sleeping Draught, which we will also be brewing later this term. Instructions are on page 239. Begin."

Alli and Astraea rushed immediately to gather ingredients for the group, leaving Gigi behind with the two Ravenclaws. The twins merely looked at her wordlessly, and Gigi found herself feeling grateful that they were fraternal, and not identical. Though the two had similar blue- green eyes and stick-straight brown hair, their facial features were very different. This was fortunate, since identical siblings had always given Gigi the creeps.

"Are you going to be entering the tournament, Gigi?" Artemis asked.

Gigi shrugged. "I suppose so. You know me. I'll never pass up an opportunity to be the center of attention. Although honestly, I think the whole concept of the tournament is ridiculous. We don't need strangers coming in and clogging up our school."

Artemis's green eyes widened. "You're not looking forward to meeting people from the other schools?" she asked.

Gigi's chest suddenly felt tight. She wished their were words to explain just how desperately she was not looking forward to the new visitors.

Instead, she simply said, "No."

If Artemis's enthusiasm was dampered she certainly didn't show it. She pressed her thick- rimmed black glasses further up her nose. "I, for one, think it is an excellent opportunity to foster ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities," she chirped.

Gigi rolled her eyes. "You also read textbooks for fun. The only way this tournament could be any less dull is if somebody ends up dying."

"Unlikely," another voice added in. This time it was Olivia who spoke up. She had pulled her chair around to face the group's workstation. "Although accidental deaths were an issue in previous tournaments, Headmaster Dumbledore assured us there were plenty of rules and regulations being put in place to keep students safe."

"I suppose you'll be entering then?" Gigi asked, although she was relatively sure of the answer. While Artemis was a very laid-back and non-confrontational girl, her sister was known to be extremely competitive, especially when it came to academics and the House Cup.

"I actually haven't decided," Olivia answered.

"Oh?" Gigi said in surprise. "Why not?"

"Well, it would be a stimulating competition and winning would be extremely satisfying. But, as a competitor you'd hardly have time to appreciate it. Think of how much more could be learned as a passive observer of the event instead," she finished.

Gigi shook her head in disbelief. "Ravenclaws," she groaned.

"I for one am very excited to meet our new guests," a deep voice quipped from behind them. Gigi spun around to see Graham, who had a devilish smile on his face and a gleam in his eye. "I've never fucked a convict before," he said.

Next to him, Cassius laughed.

"Shut up, Warrington or I'll curse you again," Gigi fired off angrily. "If any of you so much as touch a St. Drausinus girl I swear I will destroy your reputation so badly, you'll wish you had never been born."

Her face was flushed now and her fists were clenched under the desk. Cassius glared at her, and Graham retained the mischievous look in his dark eyes, but neither boy pushed her any further.

Fortunately, it was at this moment Astraea and Alli reappeared, their arms overflowing with jars of salamander blood, lionfish spines, and flubberworm mucus.

"Talking about the tournament?" Astraea asked, setting the jars down on the desk in front of her.

Gigi nodded.

"I heard they might be canceling our Quidditch season because of it. Don't suppose your father could do anything about that could he, Alli?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"Well, that depends Ast," replied Alli. "Would Olivia, our darling prefect here, be willing to look past certain indiscretions this term in exchange for such a favor?"

Olivia looked affronted. "I will not compromise my responsibilities just so you and your friends can..." she trailed off when she saw Astraea's pleading look. The Slytherin Quidditch captain's blue eyes were wide and desperate, and her lower lip stuck out in a pout.

"Fine," she said. "I will look the other way once this semester, Whittoy."

"Three times?"

"Fine."

"Five times?"

Olivia gritted her teeth. "Don't push it."

Alli smirked triumphantly. "Well Astraea, consider this Quidditch season back on."

"How can you be so sure?" Artemis piped up.

The rest of the table merely looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry," the younger twin mumbled into her parchment.

Astraea and Alli shook hands, and the five girls began working on their Wiggenweld potion.

Nearly an hour later, Snape called for everyone to stop brewing and bring their solutions to the front of the room for inspection.

The group had been surprised to find out they made a pretty good team. With Artemis and Olivia's book smarts and Alli's natural ability, their finished product was definitely above average. The only dispute the girls had was when Alli had tried to improvise adding additional honey water. Olivia had looked like she was going to pass out just from the mention of veering away from the instructions. Eventually though the girls reached a compromise, and the resulting potion was almost exactly the right shade of turquoise needed. The same could not be said for Blaise, Graham, Cassius and Terence, whose chunky lime-green liquid was now putting off a very pungent smell.

Alli carefully spooned the liquid into the small glass vial. When Artemis went to take it from her and bring it up for grading, she quickly pulled it away.

"No, I'll do it," she said firmly.

Gigi pretended to cough into her sleeve to hide her grin.

Alli walked up to the front of the room, her heart pounding. She had never been one to seek approval from others, so she wasn't sure why she always wanted it so desperately from this man.

When Snape finally reached her, he took the vial. As he did so, their fingers brushed against one another leaving Alli's hand tingling. She thought she noticed his hand tremble after the contact as well, but neither of their faces betrayed any emotion.

"Bright turquoise color...sweet floral scent...thick consistency," Snape listed off. "Excellent work per usual, Miss Whittoy. However, next time might I recommend an extra drop of honey water?" His black eyes drilled into her blue ones.

Alli grimaced. She would strangle Olivia for that. "Of course, I wish I had thought of that," she said.

But the knowing smirk on Snape's face let her know that he was entirely aware that she had, in fact, thought of that, and that soothed her a bit.

"Still," he added. "The best in the class. Ten points to Slytherin."

Alli heard her friends high-five behind her. She turned around to walk back to her table when she saw Artemis and Olivia glowering at her. She tried to ignore their angry looks as she sat back down. It wasn't her fault Snape had decided to only reward Slytherin after all.

Olivia's hand shot up in the air. "Professor, Artemis and I were a part of Alli's group as well."

Snape stood to his full height making him even more imposing than usual. "And if you had followed Ms. Whittoy's advice and added the extra drop of honey water, your potion would have been vastly improved."

Artemis opened up her mouth to defend her sister, but Snape quickly cut her off.

"From what I could tell the two of you were actually a hindrance to this group."

The twins looked to Gigi, Alli and Astraea for help but the three girls had found a way to look anywhere but at them.

"However," Snape continued. "I suppose your involvement warrants Ravenclaw five points."

"But -" Olivia started.

"Would you care to make it zero, Ms. Robertson?" Snape sneered.

Olivia shut her mouth quickly after that.

"Class dismissed."

Artemis glared at the Slytherins girls. "Thanks a lot," she said before scooping up her textbooks and following Olivia out of the room.

"Astraea, do you wan to walk out to the courtyard with us? It's just about time for us to greet our new guests," Allie invited.

"Thanks, but I'm actually going to run out to the Quidditch pitch for a bit. Now that your father is going to ensure this season happens, I want to make sure our team is ready."

Alli shrugged in response and walked off to join the boys, but Gianna lingered behind a moment.

"You're not interested in seeing what these kids from the other schools are like?" Gigi asked Astraea.

The blonde athlete shook her head. "Making friends with foreigners isn't going to help me win the Quidditch Cup this year," she said before walking out of the room, pausing only to throw a final casual wave back at her friend.

Gigi wished she could be that nonchalant, but instead her stomach was twisting itself up in knots over what was about to happen.

Alli place a hand on her shoulder. "Ready?"

Gigi didn't respond at first. The boys were already halfway to the door. Their whoops and hollers echoing through the now nearly empty classroom. Graham ran and jumped on Cassius's back. Terence laughed loudly beside them. Spinning around, Cassius flashed a handsome grin at the two girls. "Let's go ladies!" he hollered.

Alli pulled her reluctant friend towards the door. "Let's go welcome these chumps to Hogwarts."


	4. Arrival

All of Hogwarts had gathered in the courtyard to welcome the new international arrivals. The professors had said it was for a special surprise, but there wasn't a soul in the castle who had not heard about the tournament by now.

The heads of houses were all busy running about and making sure the students under their charge looked presentable.

"Mr. Weasley, tuck in your shirt," Mad Eye Moody ordered.

"Mr. Nott, though I know keeping one's shoelaces tied is a tremendous challenge for a wizard of your intellect, please do try. Perhaps Mr. Higgins could help you. Surely the two of you could figure out this simplest of tasks," sneered Snape.

"Ms. Vicieux for Merlin's sake," Professor McGonagall chastised before aiming a lengthening spell at Dani's skirt. "And Mr. Zabini, I must insist you release Mr. Longbottom at once."

Blaise had used a Levitation charm on the poor Gryffindor boy, who was currently hovering upside down with his robes flapping around his ears. Unfortunately for Neville, McGonagall had already flitted over to another student who had somehow managed to get a fair bit of dirt on their nose. Without her there to enforce her command, Blaise saw no reason to stop tormenting the boy so soon. That was until another voice spoke up.

"She said put him down."

Blaise flicked his wrist and Neville dropped to the courtyard floor with a loud _THUMP_. He quickly crawled back into the crowd not even stopping to fix his robes.

"Pathetic," Blaise muttered before turning around to face the source of the interruption.

He was surprised to see a small, mousy Gryffindor girl standing there. Her hands were balled into fists on her hips and she was glaring at him in a clear attempt at looking intimidating. However, with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail and her large brown doe eyes, she was having a hard time looking very threatening.

Blaise took a step towards her expecting her to retreat, but the girl held her ground. As much as he hated to admit it, he admired her Gryffindor courage.

"And who do you think you are speaking to me in that tone," he drawled, his voice threatening. He had taken another step towards her. With his tall frame now looming over her she looked even smaller.

The girl didn't budge or respond.

Blaise moved closer, circling behind her now. He bent down to whisper to her, his lips brushing against her ear. The girl shuddered at the contact, and Blaise was pleased to notice the goosebumps that appeared on her arms.

"Don't you have a name?" he whispered.

The girl's courageous charade began to falter. "Br...Brooke," she stuttered her voice high- pitched and clear. She cleared her throat, and announced more confidently, "Brooke LeGroot."

Blaise smiled. He remembered now. She was a fourth-year and a half-blood. He had noticed her last year when she had performed with the choir at the end-of-term feast. He had made a crass comment about how it was always the innocent looking ones that were the wildest in bed.

"You're father is Demetri LeGroot, right?" he asked her. He was still circling her closely, and she kept her eyes trained on his rotating form.

The students and professors around them were still so caught up in the excitement, nobody had noticed the interaction between the two.

"He owns that quaint little parchment shop in Diagon Alley," Blaise continued.

Once again, Brooke's composure cracked. She spun around to face him. "You've been to my father's shop?" she asked.

"Of course," Blaise answered nonchalantly. "He carries quality materials, and I only buy the best."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "You really think you're something special don't you, Blaise Zabini."

The boy raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Ah, so you've heard of me."

Brooke's face grew hot, and she knew she must be turning a bright shade of pink.

"You...you are...just...UGH," she shouted before pushing past him and disappearing into the crowd.

Blaise let out a deep laugh. He turned to see Gigi looking at him. She had been watching the entire encounter go down and was only slightly amused.

"Antagonizing little girls again, Zabini?" she called.

"Two years younger than us," he answered. "And hardly a child I assure you."

Gigi wrinkled her nose in disgust before turning back to her friends. It felt like they had been waiting ages for the other schools to arrive, but in reality only a few minutes had passed.

They had managed to push their way to the front of the crowd in order to see the new arrivals better. Gigi wrapped her cloak around her a little tighter. The September afternoon was actually quite warm, but she couldn't shake the chill she felt.

"How do you think they're getting here?" Dani asked while waving her wand to shorten her skirt again.

"Maybe train," Cassius offered. "Too far to travel by broomstick and you can't apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds."

Dani looked at him in mild shock. "That's actually a really good point, Cassius." "You sound surprised," he said.

Dani shrugged. "It's just you're always so quiet I guess. Plus, you're good-looking. Good- looking boys are almost always dumb."

Cassius managed a disinterested grunt.

"Well, unless I am mistaken, which I highly doubt, there's Beauxbatons now," interrupted Alli who seemed more interested in her cuticle care than the large flying figure in the distance.

Gigi squinted up at the sky in an attempt to discern what it was that was flying towards them so quickly.

As the shape drew nearer she could make out a powder-blue carriage the size of a large house. It was being pulled through the air by a dozen winged palomino horses. Each creature was the size of an elephant and had fiery red eyes. Before Gigi could wonder aloud what the creatures were, she heard Artemis Robertson call out from somewhere in the crowd.

"Look! Abraxans!"

When the carriage finally came to a crashing halt before them, golden steps descended from the doorway. It was from this doorway that the largest woman Gigi had ever seen emerged.

She must have been as tall, if not taller, than Hagrid, the half-giant who taught Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts.

She had a handsome olive-skinned face, large black eyes, and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck, and she was dressed from head to toe in black satin. A necklace of magnificent opals gleamed at her throat.

"Madame Maxime," Alli whispered to Gigi. "The Beauxbatons headmistress."

The woman approached Dumbledore who bent down to kiss her hand in greeting. A crowd of young witches and wizards dressed in light-blue silk uniforms had begun to exit the carriage as well, lining up behind the giant woman.

Gigi eyed them all cynically. The Beauxbatons students all seemed very thin, albeit well- groomed. They were shivering in their thin garments, as they eyed the castle disdainfully, clearly unimpressed.

Beauxbatons wouldn't be a threat in this tournament, Gigi realized. The kids were spoiled and fragile. Gigi had nothing against being spoiled. She had lived in the lap of luxury her entire life. But if there was one thing a Lestrange never was, it was weak.

She watched Dumbledore quickly usher the group inside. Just as the last blue uniform disappeared behind the door, another commotion began. This time the students turned their attention towards the large lake on the edge of the grounds.

A loud and eerie noise was drifting from the body of water. It sounded like deep rumbling and sucking, and the odd combination gave Gigi goosebumps. Great bubbles began to form on the surface of the water, and waves began washing over the muddy banks. Then, the center of the lake began to swirl, as if a giant plug had just been pulled. What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of this whirlpool. It wasn't until Gigi saw the rigging that she realized it was a mast, and attached to the mast was a large skeletal looking ship.

It floated out on the water for a moment before those gathered on shore heard an anchor drop. Moments later, a small fleet of rowboats began bobbing towards them. When the first boat reached land, Gigi saw a tall, thin man step off. Behind him marched many large, surly young teens wearing bulky coats made of matted fur.

The leader's clothes were made of fur as well, but unlike the unkempt cloaks the students were wearing, his were made of fine silver pelts.

He had dark, greasy hair and a goatee, and he walked slightly hunched over.

When he drew nearer Gigi recognized him and groaned. One of her friends snarled beside her, but she didn't look to see who it was. Unfortunately, the man had noticed them as well, and instead of walking straight to Dumbledore, he began to approach them first.

"What is he doing here?" Dani hissed.

"We all knew he worked at Durmstrang," Gigi muttered. "Looks like he got a promotion."

Before Dani could respond, the man was standing before them with a big smile on his face. "My little friends! How good it is to see you again. My, how big you've all grown."

None of the Slytherins said a word. Instead they stood glaring at him.

The man shifted in place, clearly growing uncomfortable by the cold greeting.

"No love lost for your Uncle Karkaroff, I see?" he asked grimly, forcing a weak smile.

Gigi opened her arms wide and embraced the man. Behind her she heard Cassius growl angrily and Alli gasp in shock. With her arms around Karkaroff's shoulders, she leaned in close enough to whisper in his ear without the others hearing.

"You lost your right to call yourself our uncle after you betrayed our families," she growled.

He tried to pull away, but Gigi was gripping him too tightly. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

"You're the reason my father is in jail, Igor," she mumbled darkly. "You're a traitor, and before you leave this school, I'll see to it that you're dead."

She leaned back and faked a beaming smile, but there was a dangerous glint in her eye that told Igor she meant what she had said. She gave his shoulders one last, extra-tight squeeze before releasing him and stepping back towards her group.

Alli gave her a questioning look, but Gigi merely smiled again and waved her hand dismissively.

Igor had gone ghostly pale. He pulled his collar from his neck and swallowed loudly. He appeared to notice the crowd of people looking at them, and managed a solemn smile.

"You are your father's daughter," he said, before making his way towards Dumbledore. The two headmaster's hugged amicably before Igor led the Durmstrang crew inside.

She tried to push thoughts of Igor out of her mind. She had all year to think of a suitable punishment for him, but for right now she had to remain focused. There was only one school left to arrive, and it was the one Gigi had been dreading all morning.

* * *

Miles away and deep underground, the students of St. Drusinus rattled along. After many hours on the enchanted subway train, Calico thought the journey would never end. Her backside was numb from the hard plastic seats, and the car was much quieter than it had been when the ride began. After Trevor, eight more students had been dragged out by Guardians for reckless or indecent behavior. When Kahlan had mentioned this to Calico, her new friend just rolled her eyes.

"What did they expect," Calico responded, "when they put a bunch of juvenile delinquents on a train together for this long?"

Kahlan had been relatively silent since then, and Calico presumed she was still taking in her new reality.

"Pretty different from a monastery, huh?" Cal asked the petite blonde.

Kahlan had been staring at her hands that were clasped tightly in her lap. She didn't look up when she responded.

"Two days ago, I was washing dishes and doing chores between prayers," she said.

"How was that?" Kailah asked sarcastically.

"Quiet," Kahlan replied and even though she hadn't meant it as a joke, Kailah laughed. "I've never known anything else." She finally looked up at the girls across from her. Her blue eyes dark with thought. "They found me on the doorstep when I was just a baby. I don't know if my parents just didn't want me or if something happened to them."

Kailah didn't laugh this time. Calico spoke up. "Well then you're in the right place honey," she said. "None of our parents wanted us either."

Kahlan looked around the train. Every kid there looked and acted completely different from the one next to them. Some were wild and loud. Some seemed to have lost touch with reality completely, and others didn't seem any different from the rural children she grew up playing with. She had even heard some speak different languages, and she wondered how they all came to this place.

"Part of me really misses home," she told them. Calico nodded understandingly. She had never had a home worth missing, but she assumed they existed and tried to empathize with the girl.

"It was comfortable and safe," Kahlan continued. "But this...this is very different, and it's exciting."

It was not the reaction Cal had been expecting, and for once the usually bold girl was at a loss for words.

"This is the first time I have ever come within spitting distance of an adventure, and now I'm going somewhere that might actually be able to give me answers about who I am," Kahlan finished.

Cal looked at the girl sadly. She knew this was not going to be the fairytale Kahlan was imagining. "Let me know if you still feel that way in a year," she said.

"Yeah," Kailah added bluntly. "Good luck with that."

Before Kahlan could respond, flashing red lights began to whirl and spin over the train doors.

Kailah saw the panic on Kahlan's face and flashed her a devious smile. "Well, well, well," she said. "Looks like the fun is about to begin."

Calico snorted. "Buckle up. We're about to arrive," she advised.

"Buckle...?" but before Kahlan could finish her question, seat-belts were magically released from behind their chairs. She watched as Cal and Kailah fastened theirs across their chests. Other students were doing the same thing, so Kahlan followed suite.

There were a few students who refused to cooperate, so Guardians had to hold them down and forcefully strap them in.

" _Colloportus_ ," they murmured to charm the buckles into locking in place. When all the students were secured, they moved back to their own seats to secure themselves.

Within moments, they began the incline back up to the surface. The metal contraption began to change as it lost its ghost-like permeability and became solid once more. The rocks and dirt above them gave way, as the train forcefully pushed its way through the layers of soil. The power of the movement caused the car to shake and swing violently, and Kahlan began to understand the need for the harnesses. The students were thrust every which way with such intensity, she thought their brains would surely be scrambled by the time they stopped. Finally, they broke through to the surface, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the train crawled out of its tunnel and up onto the Hogwarts lawn.

When they came to a complete stop, a Guardian unbuckled and stood up. Calico and Kailah both stared at the man, their brows furrowed in confusion.

"What?" Kahlan asked. "Who is he?" She nodded in the young man's direction.

"I don't know," Cal responded. "That's the problem."

A moment passed before Kahlan realized her new friend wasn't going to elaborate. "What's that supposed to mean?" she pressed.

Kailah stopped staring long enough to answer her. "It means we've never seen him before, newb," she huffed. "And Cal and I know all the Guardians. We've spent a lot of...quality time... together."

"You're friends with them?" Kahlan asked hopefully.

Kailah's laugh ripped through the train like a hyena, and Cal just shook her head and smirked at the new girl's naivety.

"No," said Cal. She didn't offer any more information though, instead she continued to analyze the new Guardian. "He's young," she observed. Before Kahlan could ask another question, she continued. "Most Guardians are anywhere from 35-45 years old. This guy can't be older than, I don't know, 27?"

"But what about those guys?" Kahlan asked, gesturing to a small group of older white-cloaked men with graying hair who were sitting at the far end of the train.

"Those are Guardian Commanders," Cal explained. "They're the leaders. See those gold metal clasps keeping their cloaks closed? That's how you can tell. They're usually older, like age fifty to seventy. You don't want to cross them," she warned.

Kahlan stared at the older men until one of them looked up and met her eye. She turned quickly, directing her attention back the the man who had stood to speak.

He was built like the others, she noticed. He was tall and muscular with broad shoulders. The train's forceful arrival had made his thick copper-brown hair look like it had just endured a powerful windstorm, and each piece laid haphazardly in a different direction on his head. His eyes were dark and serious, and his white cloak made his deeply tanned skin pop. Add on a jawbone that could probably cut through glass, and Kahlan would have thought he was quite handsome. That is, if she hadn't been so terrified of him.

"Listen up," he hollered. "In a few moments those doors are going to open up and your bonds will be released. You will all follow the Guardian in front of you outside, single-file. There will be no talking. No laughing. If you so much as breathe too loudly or take a single step out of line, I can promise you the consequences will not be pleasant. Do you understand?"

A few students mumbled their agreement, but others had began to chat loudly with their neighbors while he spoke. Some kids even laughed, while one in the back saw fit to cheer loudly.

The young Guardian punched a large fist into the metal door. The sound vibrated through the car, silencing even the rowdiest students.

"I said," he yelled again angrily, this time louder than before, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

This time everyone answered in unison, a meek "yes."

"Good," he said. The metal doors behind him slid open. "Now, welcome to Hogwarts."

* * *

Gigi had thought she was going to combust if she had to wait another moment. St. Drusinus was the last school to arrive and the crowd of students was beginning to get restless. Dumbledore pulled a silver pocket watch from the folds of his robes, but before he could look down to check the time there was a great rumbling from the center of the grounds.

Out on the lawn, the earth appeared to crack and crumble until a large fissure split open the soil. A mountain of dirt began to raise from within it, shooting up and spilling across the nearby grass. When the explosion of dust and debris had settled, the students could see the front of a large silver train car emerging from the gaping hole in the ground. It continued to propel up and outward until all five cars sat on the Hogwarts lawn.

"I'd hate to be the one to clean up that mess," quipped Terence who had somehow found his way to Gigi's side. She realized now that he had been the one to snarl at Karkaroff's arrival.

She ignored him, and clenched her fists so tightly, her knuckles were turning white.

The doors to the second car slid open, and two figures stepped out. One was a very severe looking middle-aged woman whose gray-streaked black hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the base of her neck. She was thin in the extreme, and her dark green military dress hung from her frame in a straight, well-tailored fashion. Her face was deeply lined, making her look several years older than she probably was.

Behind her stood a distinguished-looking older man, with dark gray hair and a mustache. He wore dark purple robes with gold fastenings, and on his head he wore a small, flat black turban.

They approached the group, but paused halfway. Before Gigi could wonder what they were waiting for, the doors to the third and fourth cars opened up. Out marched two lines of young witches and wizards dressed in matching gray uniforms. Gigi guessed that the outfits were unisex by the way they hung shapelessly from the teens frames. On either side of them stood a wall of tall white-cloaked men. Gigi gathered these were the Guardians she had heard stories about, the ones who maintained order at the reformatory.

Gigi stood on her tiptoes to search for her cousin's familiar head of dark auburn hair among the lines of students, but couldn't see much past the Guardian's hulking figures.

When the stern looking woman who had emerged first looked pleased that everything was in order she approached Dumbledore, who bent down to kiss her hand as he had Madame Maxime's. However, this woman ignored the gesture and kept her hand firmly at her side, forcing Dumbledore to do an odd half-bow before straightening himself.

It was then that Gigi realized how quiet it was. Both schools were watching the interaction so silently, she wondered if anyone was breathing. She edged closer to the duo to try and hear what was being said.

"Headmistress Vasko," Dumbeldore greeted warmly. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

She did not smile back at him. "You forget, Dumbledore. I've been here once before."

He managed to look contrite, but there was a tightness in Dumbledore's expression that told Gigi he had not actually forgotten at all. Gigi wondered what business the St. Drusinus Headmistress could have had here before. Before she could think too hard on it, another introduction was made.

"This is St. Drusinus's new Deputy Headmaster, Professor Borys Zelinski," Vasko announced. She stepped aside to let the man behind her through.

"The pleasure is entirely mine, Professor Zelinski," Dumbledore said. This time he had not extended his hand, presuming this man would keep his distance as Vasko had.

Instead, Professor Zelinski came within inches of Dumbledore, grabbing the older man's hand firmly and shaking his arm with such vigor, Gigi was surprised he didn't fall over.

A look of surprise flashed on Dumbledore's face that was quickly hidden behind a soft smile. The old man straightened himself back up and raised his wand to his own throat.

" _Sonorus_ ," he bellowed.

The amplifying charm caused his next words to loudly echo across the grounds, so all the students gathered could hear him.

"Now that all of our honored guests have arrived. Please proceed in an orderly manner to the Great Hall to begin our welcome feast."

"Quietus," he spoke to return his voice to normal volume before lowering his wand and leading Headmistress Vasko and Professor Zelinski inside.

His request for students to "proceed in an orderly manner" was immediately forgotten. Hogwarts students scrambled around each other on tiptoes trying to get a better look at the St. Drusinus kids. Some were jumping on friends backs to try and get a better vantage point. There was all sorts of yelling and cheers that bounced off the walls of the courtyard like a fanged frisbee. Hogwarts teachers and prefects tried desperately to restore some sort of order.

For all the chaos that had evolved among the Hogwarts inhabitants, the boys and girls of St. Drusinus were the exact opposite. They had not spoken or moved from their straight orderly lines. Most of them stared straight ahead with vacant expressions. The Guardians glowered down at them.

Then, Gigi saw a boy move. He crept just a few feet out of line and was standing on his tiptoes in an attempt to see over one of his peer's shoulders. Almost instantaneously, he was struck by a stinging jinx so powerful, it knocked him off his feet. The Hogwarts students silenced immediately, their shock at the quick punishment palpable.

The spell had been fired off so fast, Gig couldn't tell which Guardian it had came from. None of their faces gave anything away. Like the students, the Guardian's grim expressions lacked any emotion.

The jinxed boy scrambled back to his feet and immediately resumed his place in line. He did not wince, or act surprised, even though Gigi could see his shoulder was beginning to swell where he had been hit.

Gigi felt a tug on her arm, and turned to see Dani's deep brown eyes looking up at her worriedly.

"Come on," she said, and she pulled Gigi back towards the entrance hall. Alli followed close behind.

Before going through the large oak doors, Gigi threw one last look over her shoulder to try and see Calico's dreaded familiar face. But when the horde of shuffling Hogwarts students made seeing anything impossible, she sighed and resigned herself to following her friends inside.


	5. Broomsticks and Brass Tacks

While the rest of Hogwarts gathered in the courtyard, Astraea headed to the Quidditch pitch. She stopped only to grab her Nimbus 2000 from the broomshed on the way. A few years ago, it was considered a state-of-the art racing broom, but was quickly being replaced by newer, faster models.

When she reached the edge of the pitch, Astraea threw one leg over the broomstick and kicked off the ground hard.

As she rose up through the air, she could see the mob of students crowding together in the distance. She watched as more and more people flooded out of the castle to join the others. The tournament had been all anybody was willing to talk about the past twenty-four hours, but Astraea didn't quite understand all the commotion surrounding the event.

 _After all, how different could these foreign students really be,_ she thought.

She certainly didn't think it worth canceling Quidditch for.

She flew a lap around the pitch to warm up. Now that Alli Whittoy had promised her there would, in fact, be a Quidditch season this year, she needed to get prepared. She wasn't going to let Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup her first year as Slytherin Captain.

 _Not on my watch_ , she thought. She tucked a loose strand of curly blonde hair back into her ponytail and increased her speed, ignoring the cool wind whipping against her face. She was so focused on her flying, she didn't even notice the giant flying carriage that soared overhead and landed on the Hogwarts front lawn.

After a few more laps, Astraea felt like she was significantly warmed up, so she flew to her place in front of one of the two sets of giant goalposts at either end of the field.

She weaved between the posts lazily, lavishing the familiar feeling. She decided to run agility drills next. She continued weaving, but now she was going faster and faster until the wooden poles were only dark blurs in her peripheral vision. She shot upwards, through the first goalpost's hoop. She barrel-rolled through the second post before looping through the third one.

She repeated the movements a few times, until she got too dizzy to continue. She came to a rest in front of the middle post, and hovered for a moment to catch her breath.

Reaching for the small flask strapped to her calf, she realized she forgot to fill it this morning after Potions class.

She reached behind her head to grab the wand she had tucked securely into her ponytail. " _Aguamenti_ ,"she annunciated pointing it at the flask. Clear water spilled from the tip of her wand into the container. When it was full, she tucked her wand back up into her hair, and took a long sip of the cool liquid.

It was at that moment she noticed she was being watched by a small figure in the stands.

She choked on the water, sputtering and hacking, as she tried to steady herself on her broom.

Squinting, she could faintly make out the form of a girl sitting in the bleachers, whose cloak was lined with Hufflepuff yellow.

Astraea dropped her flask, not bothering to tie it back to her leg. The container fell 30 feet and landed with a soft thud on the sand below. She would have to remember to grab it before she went back to the castle.

She gripped her broom handle and zipped over to the unwanted spectator. The girl was clutching a piece of parchment that she was scribbling on intently. She was so engrossed in her work, she hadn't even noticed Astraea approach. Her medium-dark hair hung in straight curtains around her face, and her silvery gray eyes followed the movement of her quill as it scratched back and forth across the page. Her round cheeks and very pale skin made her look almost child-like, and Astraea couldn't help but compare her to a porcelain china doll.

Astraea glanced down to see what the Hufflepuff girl was working on so furiously. There were diagrams of the quidditch pitch and sketches of flying maneuvers.

 _A spy_ , Astraea thought angrily. She cleared her throat loudly, startling the girl.

"Oh!" she shouted, falling backwards off her seat.

She pushed herself back up onto her knees and scrambled to pick up the sheets of parchment that had scattered around her.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Astraea growled. "One should never send a Hufflepuff to spy. You're not very good at it."

"Sp..spy?" the girl managed to gasp out, as she reached for the last sheet of runaway paper. Her silvery eyes met Astraea's light blue ones.

"Don't play dumb," Astraea accused. "I saw your drawings. You were watching me fly."

The girl didn't deny the accusations, but turned a bright shade of pink. Astraea took the blush as a confirmation of her suspicions.

"So who put you up to this?" she pushed. "I know every player on the Hufflepuff team and you're not one of them. Was it Diggory?"

The girl opened her mouth to respond, but Astraea continued to rant.

"Oh, I bet it was Macavoy, wasn't it? She's been trying to steal my moves for years!"

"Well, actually..." the girl started, but was cut off again.

"As if spying on us could improve their playing, honestly. They could steal Victor Krum's moves and still wouldn't stand a chance at the Cup," Astraea continued.

"EXCUSE ME," the Hufflepuff girl shouted in an attempt to get a word in.

Astraea glared back at her. "What?"

"For your information, I'm not spying for anybody," the girl clarified.

Astraea snorted. "Yeah right. You sure do a good impression of somebody spying then."

The girl clenched her jaw. Her patience was clearly beginning to run out. "Actually Astraea," she said, "I was observing you for purely academic purposes."

Astraea rolled her eyes, but her curiosity was piqued. "How do you know my name?" she asked, squinting at the suspicious girl. "And what do you mean academic purposes?"

"You're the Slytherin Quidditch Captain. Anyone with eyes and ears around here knows your name," the girl replied. "And I'm Sabrina, by the way, Sabrina Magnus. Thanks for asking."

"I didn't," Astraea seethed. "And you still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"Why should I?" Sabrina snapped. "The Quidditch pitch is school property. You don't own it."

"Fine," Astraea said. She started to turn her broom around when Sabrina spoke up again.

"By the way, if you keep carrying your weight on your right side, Hufflepuff certainly could stand a good chance at the Cup this year. It's slowing you down."

Astraea stopped and looked back over her shoulder at the other girl. "What are you talking about, Magnus?" she asked hotly.

"You lean too much to your right. The weight is causing unnecessary drag that decreases the speed of your right turns by nearly 18%," Sabrina answered matter-of-factly.

"And how do you know that?" Astraea asked, fully turning around to face her now.

Sabrina patted her stack of parchment on her lap. "It's all right here in my super-secret spy notes," she joked.

Astraea crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest. "Okay smarty- pants," she said. "If you're not a spy, then what are you doing here?"

Sabrina smiled and stood. She began to climb over the row of bleachers in front her, until she was standing right in front of the Slytherin captain.

"It's a research project. I'm hoping to get an internship with Puddlemere United next year," she explained. "On the management side of things, of course. Plus, Madame Hooch said she'd give me 50 house points if I came up with anything good."

Astraea cocked her head and looked at the girl. She hovered closer to the stands until she was near enough to hop off her broom and stand next to Sabrina, who was looking at her warily.

"Do you play?" she asked.

"Quidditch?" Sabrina responded. Her eyes were wide with an emotion Astraea couldn't quite place.

Astraea nodded and took a step closer to the girl.

"Ha!" Sabrina laughed nervously. Clearly uncomfortable with the Slytherin's close proximity, a warm blush creeped up her face.

"Definitely not. At least now when I trip it's just a short way to the ground." As if to prove her point, she went to take a step back and fell over the bleacher behind her.

"Yeah," Astraea said, reaching out a hand to help the girl up, "You definitely seem a little unstable."

Sabrina grabbed her hand and scrambled to her feet.

"But don't you even want to try?" Astraea asked. "Flying is the most magical feeling in the world."

Sabrina shrugged. "Just one of those things that's not for everybody I guess," she said.

"Well I think you're a right nutter," Astraea replied.

Sabrina shrugged again and began to pack her notes and quill away in her schoolbag. Astraea watched her silently. When the she was done, she turned and waved awkwardly.

"Well, see you around I guess," she said and started towards the exit. Right before she disappeared onto the stairwell, Astraea called after her.

"Hey, Magnus! Wait!"

The Slytherin girl jogged to catch up with her new acquaintance, who had paused at the top of the stairs to wait.

Sabrina watched expectantly, waiting for the other girl to speak. "What else can you tell me about my flying?" Astraea asked.

Sabrina bit her lip. "Well, I noticed you like to favor the right side goal post," she started. When Astraea nodded for her to go on, she continued.

"And if you pulled up a little less forcefully when making a save, you'd cut your recovery time by a significant percentage. You're taking too much time to rebalance yourself that the other team could use to get another goal past you."

Astraea stared wide-eyed at the girl. "Why aren't you in Ravenclaw?" she asked.

Sabrina didn't answer. Instead, she blushed and held her schoolbag closer to her chest as if it would provide a shield between her and Astraea's questions.

"Well, if that's all..." she started, reaching behind her for the stair railing.

"Wait," Astraea commanded again. She was being incredibly bossy she realized, even by her own standards. "What if we arranged some kind of a deal?" she asked the Hufflepuff.

"What kind of deal?" asked Sabrina.

"I'll let you watch my team's practices," Astraea started, "if you share whatever you find that will help us win."

Sabrina raised her eyebrows and scoffed. "And why would I want to help Slytherin win?"

 _Damn_ , Astraea thought. S _he's got a point_.

"Fine, you can use whatever you learn in your research for your internship," she added.

Sabrina opened her mouth to protest, but Astraea cut her off. "And I'll help teach you how to fly."

Sabrina's jaw dropped. "I told you I don't..."

"Every good witch worth her salt should at least know how to get up off the ground," Astraea interrupted. "And besides, don't you think Puddlemere United would prefer an intern who wasn't afraid of her own broomstick? After all, they're a _Quidditch_ team."

Sabrina looked as though she was searching for an argument to that logic. When she obviously came up empty, she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and sighed heavily.

"Fine," she agreed. "When's your next practice?"

Astraea squealed and moved to hug the girl. Sabrina backed away quickly from the embrace, nearly falling down the steep stairs behind her. Astraea grabbed her arm to steady her.

"We'll start tomorrow. I promise you won't regret this!"

Sabrina looked as though she wanted to say something to the contrary, but the Slytherin girl had already kicked back off onto her broomstick and was zooming back toward the end of the pitch.

"Don't forget your water flask," she called out before shaking her head and finally descending down the stairs. She would have stayed and watched the Quidditch captain a bit longer, but the feast would be starting soon. Sabrina may have not been losing her marbles over the tournament like some of the students, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested in what some of the newcomers would be like.

She followed the gravel path up to the castle. Her thoughts so consumed by her interaction with Astraea, she didn't even notice the giant, seemingly bottomless hole in the grass or the large silver subway train that sat beside it.


End file.
